FinFet integration generally involves the formation of a “sea-of-fins” to obtain fin uniformity, which is then followed by a dry etch process that removes the fins that are not needed for the electrical circuit and/or the fins that need to be removed for other reasons, e.g., gate contacts. However, this fin removal process usually causes wide and deep trenches that are costly to fill. Further, the typical fin removal process usually requires an additional chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) step that is performed on a non-uniform wafer, which after fin recess leaves behind topography that has to be accounted for during the gate formation.
A need therefore exists for a methodology enabling removal of unnecessary fins without requiring costly trench etching and trench filling as well as producing a planar wafer as an end result.